Like many Indigenous peoples across the planet, water has forever been central to the creation stories, cosmology and very existence of the Māori people of Aotearoa. From the small winding streams of the North Island to the mountain glaciers of the South Island, freshwater continues to be central to Māori identity.

In Te Reo Māori, waitī is the word for freshwater, literally translated as wai meaning water and tī meaning sweet. Waitī is one of the nine stars in the Matariki cluster, each representing a different provenance, including the winds, the ocean and the deceased.

Waitī, represented by a female force, revolves around the concept that every living thing, known as mauri, is intrinsically interconnected to freshwater and its health. This means that the health of all mauri depends on the health of the waitī, including the springs, streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands and the plants and animals that live in those places.

For Māori people, the human and non-human worlds are indivisible and kinship relations toward the natural world are paramount. If the waitī is healthy, it will express itself by offering bountiful amounts of fish, eels, plants and freshwater, demonstrating its strong mana, or spiritual power.

Watercress, known as kōwhitiwhiti, is one such manifestation of a healthy waitī. This freshwater plant grows on the banks of streams and creeks across New Zealand and has long been a crucial part of the Māori diet and used for medicinal purposes.